Frequently Asked: Online Appointment Booking

How can I block certain patients from booking online appointments?

To prevent specific patients from booking online appointments, navigate to the Filtering page in the Online Appointment Booking tab. Here, you can block patients based on Tags, Insurance, Failed Appointments, and Service Codes. These filters ensure that when blocked patients attempt to book online, they are redirected to call your office instead.

Click here to see an article on applying Tags to PBN patients.

When is an appointment booking request denied to patients?

An appointment request is denied when the practice does not accept the appointment. You can deny pending appointments in PBN by navigating to the Schedule section, as shown in the screenshot below.

How can I approve appointment requests from patients?

To approve appointment requests, check the Schedule and Action Needed notifications for any pending appointments waiting for approval. You can also approve them from the Schedule as seen in the screenshot above. 

What are conflicted appointments?

Conflicted appointments occur when two appointments are booked for the same time slot. The patient attempting to book during this time will receive an email notification informing them of the conflict.

How can I cluster appointments booked?

To cluster appointments, select the "Cluster Appointments" checkbox in the Appointment Availability section of the Appointment Booking - Settings page. This setting ensures that only appointments adjacent to already booked slots are shown to your patients. Clustering reduces idle time and organizes the daily schedule more effectively.

For example, if appointments are already booked for 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., selecting the cluster option will offer patients only the 10:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. time slots, as these are adjacent to existing appointments. The first available slot will be offered on days with no prior appointments, and clustering will proceed from there. You can also specify a preferred initial appointment time for patients.

Note that clustering appointments will limit the number of available time slots, which may result in fewer appointments being scheduled.